Spring is here, and with it comes the beautiful flowers that line the hedgerows. Every year I get overly excited planning all sorts of amazing forages, and some years I even manage to do some of them!
This year was time for a new one: wild rose jelly. I’ve long been tempted to use these sweet smelling flowers, and the opportunity to make something for a Christmas Hamper that nobody else will have did spur me on somewhat!
The recipe I used was as follows:
- As many rose petals as I could pick (about a pint). I tried to pick ones that were due to fall soon, so as not to reduce the number of rosehips in autumn!
- 500g of preserving sugar with added pectin
- A tiny bit of lemon juice
- Water (500mls)
I put them all together in the pan, reserving just a couple of petals for later, and heated gently until the sugar had dissolved, and then hard until a rolling boil was reached. This is when the bubbles on the top are too thick to be broken with a spoon- they just carry on going!
Test the jelly on a cold plate- if you can run your finger through it and it crinkles, it is ready!
Stir in the reserved petals and pour into warm sterilised jam jars. I used baby sterilising tablets AND heated them in the oven, just to be sure.
Seal, label, and leave!
The result is a sweet jelly favoured by the Turkish, and can be eaten with yoghurt. Personally, I’m going to give some away, and the rest can be made into my own Turkish delights!
Living Frugal 